Kaizen explained
Kaizen is Japanese for "improvement". In a business, it means everyone looks for small fixes in their own work, all the time. In personal productivity, it means improving your system a little every week.
Small changes are easier to start, easier to keep and easier to undo if they do not work.
Try it today
- At the end of each week, note one thing that slowed you down.
- Make one small change to fix it.
- Keep the change if it helped and try another next week.
Where it comes from
Masaaki Imai brought the idea to a global business audience with his 1986 book Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Kaizen?
- Kaizen is the practice of continuous improvement through many small, regular changes, rather than occasional big overhauls.
- Where does Kaizen come from?
- Masaaki Imai brought the idea to a global business audience with his 1986 book Kaizen: The Key to Japan's Competitive Success.
- How do I start with Kaizen?
- At the end of each week, note one thing that slowed you down. Make one small change to fix it. Keep the change if it helped and try another next week.
- Which tools help with Kaizen?
- Tools in our directory that help include Notion, Loop Habit Tracker, Daylio, Habitica. Each has its own page with pricing, pros and cons.